With soil temperatures on the rise and the risk of frost gone for now, its the ideal time to plant spring forages. Spring oats are one crop to consider investing in this year. They tend to mature quickly and may be used as nurse crops, so youll need to have those hay covers ready for harvest. Its also important to prepare the land properly before dropping those first seeds.

To prepare the land, remove all of the weeds and consider adding nitrogen fertilizer to the soil to improve the hay quality in the long-term. Oh, and you might need to aerate the soil too because spring oats are notorious for growing poorly in compact soil. Then go out and buy the best spring oats available in your area and mind the seeding rate while youre engaged in planting activities. Afterward, it will be important to watch out for soil crusting and signs of insect or wild animal activity.

If you want to increase your hay stores even more, think about planting rye, yellow mustard and medium red clover too. They have a history of growing in harmony with spring oats and will produce a lot of food for your grazing animals too. By late May or early June, youll probably need to harvest all of the forage crops we mentioned and bale them up for later. So depending on how much food youre hoping to store away for late summer, you may need to buy even more hay covers at this time.

Weve got Performer and discount products in stock now. Consequently, youll have your choice of round and square hay covers as well as side curtains. Collectively, theyre large enough to accommodate round, spring oat bales that are anywhere from 4 to 6 feet in size. To learn more about our collection of Performer and discount hay covers, please contact us today.